Christmas Scarves
by Vanilla Mochi
Summary: For Christmas, she knits.


Word Count: 1,483 words

Warnings: Dual Destinies Spoilers, Slight Junipollo, but can be interpreted as friendship.

Merry Christmas and hope you enjoy reading!

* * *

For Christmas, Juniper knits everyone a scarf.

It's the really the only thing she can do to show her thanks.

For Hugh, despite the color of his uniform, his scarf is a deep purple, like the eggplants in her garden. Purple is the color of mysteries and awareness. As sharp as a hawk, Hugh is, yet despite his cocky, genius façade, he once had more than a couple of secrets to hide. Things that both allured people in and pushed them out. But for all his faults, for all of the color's ambiguities, purple is also the color of royalty. It is a color fit for a king, for a friend who would've sacrificed everything for someone like Juniper.

For Robin, Juniper knits her a hot pink scarf. Red is the color of passion and pink is the color of femininity. The middle shade is a bright pink- a perfect balance between the two colors. It is a color that Juniper hopes Robin will always keep. A hope, a prayer that Robin will never let go of her vivacity, while at the same time, finally letting her femininity flourish as it should've more eighteen years ago.

Athena's scarf is a mixture of yellow and orange- a golden orange. Although Juniper has not actually seen Athena for the past seven years or so, she has never been certain about the color. A color bright enough to match the golden rays of the sun, it is almost symbolic for the new age Athena has ushered in to the Themis Legal Academy with the arrest of Professor Means. Like a single glided beam of light, she has purified the Academy, ridding the school of corruption with the silver sword of truth and justice like the Goddess of Wisdom herself.

Picking a color for Prosecutor Blackquill is difficult to say the least. At first, Juniper decides to go with black as the color is fitting for his name. Then she realizes that may not be the best choice. After mulling over it in the yarn section for a few minutes, the forlorn bundle of olive green yarn in the corner catches her eye. Green is the color of life and rebirth. However jaded seven years of prison has made him, Prosecutor Blackquill is still a man reborn anew, once the shackles had been finally lifted off.

Mr. Wright gets the deepest of blues scarf. In the midst of the chaos rampant throughout the justice system, he is the one pillar of stability and order. A knight in shining armor to the innocent, a bounty hunter to the guilty. All in all, he is the man of blue, immersed in the wisdom only years of experience could've provided and in a desire above all else for the truth and nothing but the truth. The world knows of this and Juniper is no exception.

Trucy's scarf, on the other hand, is turquoise, a shade of blue. Fitting because she is Mr. Wright's daughter, his legacy. With a smile that never quite fades, she is an inspiration to all of the Wright Anything Agency- the one person who can put a smile on anyone's face with her bounds of energy and creative magic tricks. The girl of turquoise, Trucy and her sharp mind have also helped her fellow friends out of the rut.

Juniper would've chosen a shade of purple for Mr. Gavin, but the silver yarn better appeals her. A shade of grey and a perfect mixture of black and white, Klavier Gavin is the kind of lawyer that any law official, whether they are a prosecutor, judge, or defense attorney. A strong, well developed sense of justice combined with compassion. He is a strong man as well. Juniper is well aware of the arrest and execution of his corrupt brother, Kristoph Gavin. Yet here Mr. Gavin is, unfazed and as suave as ever. But whether he has been able to move forward or not, Juniper may never know.

As for Apollo, the choice is obvious- red, a vibrant crimson like the flames that flare between defense attorneys and prosecutors in the courtroom. Lively, bold, and fervent- all traits that Juniper admires and wishes she can have as a person. Reasons that she might've come to admire him. Speaking of feelings of admiration, it may also represent the romantic feelings she has developed for him, but upon thinking of that, she becomes flustered, quickly denying the thought and instinctively, her knitting needles weaves the crimson at a furious pace. When she calms down, she's surprised that she has managed to avoid knitting hearts into the design.

Another thought crosses her mind and her pace slows down for a second time. Crimson is as livid as the color of fresh, newly-spilt blood. How ironic the color Apollo associates himself with is the same color Clay Terran would bleed to death in.

She finishes the scarf quickly and nervously, with needle and thread, she sews silver stars into crimson yarn.

She hopes it doesn't make him cry.

* * *

When she finally gives out the scarves, it's at the Christmas party held at the Wright Agency. Athena and Trucy, thrilled with glowing faces and vibrant scarves flying around their necks, have thrown hugs around Juniper in thanks. Robin is the same, but not without bellowing her love for her hot scarf for all to hear. Hugh pushes his glasses up and thanks Juniper impassively, but he's failing to keep a full grin from forming, corner to corner.

By the time she reaches Apollo, sitting closer to the edge, her face is flaming, cheeks pink from heartfelt thank yous that either came in the form of Klavier Gavin giving one of his killer smiles, or Simon Blackquill nodding and patting Juniper on the head.

Apollo has not smiled much since the Phantom case two weeks ago, so it's a relief to everybody, when he relents with the stoicism, giving a small smile as he wraps Juniper's gift around his neck.

It's also only then, when Athena peeks over Juniper's shoulder into the bag that Juniper brought the scarves in.

"Hey Junie, you still have one more left. Who's it for?"

Juniper gasps, pulling the bag close; she laughs uneasily. "I-it's for someone important."

Well, it's a half truth.

The other half, however, she doesn't dare to spill, no matter how pouty Athena gets. She doesn't dare to say how the last scarf is a navy blue one embedded with the same silver stars on Apollo's. Most importantly, she doesn't dare to admit this one scarf is for the late Clay Terran.

* * *

In the early morning of December 25, 2027, a lone figure stands in front of a lonely grave. Thick braids flutter in the chilly December winds as she kneels to run tentatively her fingers over the name.

_Clay Terran_

_2004-2027_

_Flying with the Stars._

"We've never met before, but… still…. Merry Christmas." She takes a navy blue scarf with silver stars from her bag and gently wraps it around the gravestone. "I hope you like it."

Wind blows again and she swears he's right next to her, whispering in a voice too warm for a spirit's.

_Hey, thanks! It's really warm. …Watch over Apollo for me, okay? He needs friends like you._

"Yes…" She says, standing up. With the brightest of smiles, she promises him, crossing her heart. "I will. Always."

* * *

A few hours pass and the graveyard is as barren as it should be on a Christmas morning. A young man with two distinct hair antennas walks in with a bouquet of flowers.

He really shouldn't be here, considering the reactions he'll later get if Mr. Wright, Athena, or Trucy find out about this visit. But here he is, with nothing but a winter coat and the red scarf with silver stars to shield him from the coat.

He can't bring himself to celebrate Christmas, while his best friend lays six feet beneath the ground alone. Christmas should never be celebrated alone.

Upon reaching Clay's final resting place, however, he blinks. Something is, fortuitously, out of place. Wrapped snug around the tombstone, held in place as if a real person were wearing it, a navy blue scarf is wrapped snug around the tombstone.

It looks kind of awkward, like a sore thumb, if he's blunt.

Still, he inspects it at a closer range after delivering the flowers with an unceremonious drop. The scarf glistens in the sunlight and he realizes navy blue is not all that the scarf has.

Silver thread, he recognizes, sewed into silver stars, just like his own.

_Merry Christmas Apollo! Look, we match; that girl has really good taste!_

He sighs, finally sitting criss-cross. Softly, he smiles. "Merry Christmas Clay. Nice scarf there. So she was talking about you, huh?"

* * *

The next time Apollo sees Juniper, he hugs her tightly and doesn't plan on letting go anytime soon.

_ Fin._


End file.
